Vegetable Pakora Appetizers

Do you like Indian Food?
I frequently order vegetable pakora appetizers when I dine in our local Indian restaurant.
As much as I enjoy them, I never thought of actually making them at home. It turns out they are easy to make, baked, and very tasty!


I recently visited Masala Vegan food blog where, Priya, the author shared an easy recipe for making pakoras. I thought I would give it a try!

 I do not have any experience cooking Indian food and was a little intimidated.

The recipe called for a lot more spices than I actually had on hand, but even with my adaptations using less spices, the pakoras tasted really good.

Most cultures, other than Americans, rely on a variety of spices that not only add flavor to their recipes but vitamins, antioxidants, and phytochemicals as well. It turns out that spices like cumin, turmeric, garlic, and red chili powder( all in these pakoras) are little powerhouses of nutrients.

Vegetable pakoras can be made using a variety of vegetables: potato, corn, shredded cabbage, spinach, peas etc. However, this recipe uses only cabbage.

It was so easy because I simply bought a bag of shredded cabbage for the recipe. I was pleased with the results.

This recipe is a home run for me because it is baked, not fried, gluten free, and vegan! Yahoo!!

You can find Priya's recipe for her pakoras on her site at Masala Vegan

Shared on Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking

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Updated April 16, 2021

After posting 2 years ago, I've decided to now post my recipe version of Priya's recipe. I realized that if Priya takes down the recipe, we won't be able to find it. 

My oil free pakora version: 

2 cups shredded cabbage ( or chopped onion and shredded carrots)

1 cup of chickpea flour 

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric 

1 teaspoon of garlic powder 

1 teaspoon of cumin seed or ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon of chili powder 

2 Tablespoons at a time of cold water

Salt and pepper 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

Add remainder of ingredients (except the water) to a large mixing bowl and mix. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a thick batter. Add more if necessary.

Drop tablespoon size mounds of batter onto the cookie sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.